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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · fork · pit · kid · can · key · bass · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kid — child
  11. fork — in a road
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — army training
  20. bass — low music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — in music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com